Dragon Ball Z: Path to Power
by Kal-Karrot
Summary: A tale of how against all odds the earthlings Krillin, Tenshinhan, and Yamcha could ever keep up with their Super Saiyan and Namekian allies.
1. Prologue

As the stranger faded out of time, the warning began to sink in. Three years wasn't a lot of time, at least not long enough for what lied ahead. Enemies that dwarfed _Freeza._ Enemies that not even _Super Saiyans_ stood a chance against. Now this might be an exciting prospect for their alien comrades, but for Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Krillin, mere humans, this task seemed all but impossible.

But perhaps three years wasn't too short. After all, that was the gap between the Tenkaichi Budokai's from back in the day. Maybe it wouldn't be so different. They'd meet up with their friends and show off the progress they made. It might be fun almost, if there wasn't such a danger.

But these enemies were something else. They were in for the hardest trainings of their lives, bar none. They had already long past the power of Piccolo Daimao. After a year training with God they had surpassed the saiyan Raditz. And since even then they had overcome the terrible strength of Nappa and Vegeta. Freeza, though, was on another level, as Krillin could certainly attest. And the upcoming threats, these androids, are supposed to be a level above that. With that in mind, the three martial artists went off their separate ways, to perform a task that is almost certainly, utterly above them.


	2. Krillin: Year One

"Yo Krillin!" Goku yelled, as Krillin approached him. "Piccolo and Gohan and me are all gonna be trainin' together. You wanna join us?" "I'm going to have to pass on that, Goku." Krillin said in response. "I don't think I could keep up with you three training like that." "Suit yourself. Was there somethin' you wanna tell me?" "Yeah, I was wondering if you could help me with something. That teleportation thing you do, do you think it could take to, say, Kaio's place?" Goku paused for a moment. "Hmmm… that's pretty far out. Let me see if I can find his ki…there it is! Alright, just grab on and I'll take you right there."

In an instant, the pair popped into the tiny planet the revered King of Worlds calls home. "Ah, Krillin! I was wondering if you would show up. All your friends did, after all. And Goku! Glad to see you're doing well, Mr. Legendary Super Saiyan. I see you learned a trick or two from the Yardrats while you were gone." "Hehe, yeah. Sure was nice seeing you Lord Kaio, but I got a lot of training to do. Say hi to Bubbles!"

Kaio sighed as Goku phased away. "You know he could have at least stay a little while. I swear if I had more time until those saiyans came I would teach him manners as well as martial arts." Krillin chuckled. "Well I don't know how well that would go. Back when we trained with Kame-Sennin he tried to teach him stuff like that, and of course his wife's been trying for years." "I suppose you're right," said Kaio, "Anyway I know why you're here. Once I noticed Freeza was headed toward Earth I started paying attention. Sounds like you're in for a real challenge. Speaking of which…"

It had been a few minutes. The King of Worlds was a tough nut to crack. "Okay, okay. What's the difference between roast beef and pea soup?" This seemed to grab his attention. "You can roast beef…but you can't pee soup!". Kaio stared blankly for a moment before suddenly erupting into a wheezing laughter. "Alright, you show promise," he said, still laughing. "Since you're already too strong for the gravity on its own to do much, I'm going to go ahead and give you some weights. How about… ninety kilos per limb. Yes, that should work. Now to start off I'm gonna have you play a game with a friend of mine." "A friend?" "Yes, Bubbles, would you please come out?"

"Alright," Krilllin said, wiping the sweat off his brow. It had taken nearly five weeks, but he finally managed to catch that monkey. "I caught him. Are you going to teach me the Kaio-Ken, now?" Lord Kaio paused for a moment. "Hmm…well to be honest I hadn't planned on teaching it to you." "Really, why not?" Krillin replied. "Well it's an incredibly difficult technique, I myself have yet to master it. Only Goku has so far. Tenshinhan came close but decided to use what he learned to improve his Kikoho. But more importantly, they had the advantage of being dead. If you make a mistake, your body might not be able to handle it." The King of World's said. "With all due respect Lord Kaio, no matter hard I train with you, I'll never be able to keep up with a Super Saiyan if I can't multiply my power. How strong does it make them? It has to be thirty or forty times stronger _at least_." "Fifty by my estimate." Kaio said, considering his pupil's advice. "I guess you have a point, but even Goku only managed to push it to twenty, and that was only for moment. He was also three times as strong as you are now. " "Well we got three years, don't we?"

Krillin hovered a few feet above the tiny planet in meditation. In the nine months since he caught Bubbles, he had doubled his weights twice over and developed an understanding of the Kaio-Ken. "Alright, your hour is up. You can rest now." Krillin regained his footing and lowered his power. "Congratulations, Krillin. You've sustained a twenty times Kaio-Ken for an hour. I think it's fair to say you've officially surpassed even Son Goku in your mastery of my technique." said Lord Kaio. "Well thanks," Krillin said as he removed his weights. "But I still can't match a Super Saiyan. Even if I can bump it up to forty in short bursts it's still not enough." Kaio waved his hand in dismissal. "Oh don't worry too much, you've still got plenty of time. At this point you just need to build up more strength and polish your skill. Besides, I think you're ready to learn my trump card." "Trump card?"


	3. Yamcha: Year One

Yamcha was not feeling his best. He was almost excited to train at first. That gravity machine Dr. Briefs created had just been upgraded, and he wanted a go at it. But Vegeta had also taken a liking to it, and he wasn't eager to share. Vegeta had been around an awful lot and spending an awful lot of time with Bulma as well…he didn't like to think about it. All he had to think about right then was training, and at that moment, gathering the Dragon Balls. _Alright, this last one should be right down there,_ he thought as he began to descend.

It took some searching, but it wasn't long before he managed to find the last piece of the puzzle, the Six Star Ball. He opened a bag and began to lay out the Dragon Balls. It was at that moment he realized just where he was. _The Diablo Desert. This is where it all began, isn't it?_ Yamcha was overwhelmed with nostalgia, but there was also a hint of regret. _If I just stayed here, I'd never have died. I wouldn't have had my heart broken. I wouldn't have been humiliated on so many countless occasions. Puar and I really did have a good life out here._ He dismissed the thoughts nearly as soon as they had come. _My death didn't amount to much more than a vacation of training. I'd have never known love at all if it weren't for Bulma. My humiliation made me push my strength to new heights. Puar would've been my only friend at all._ Yamcha decided he had made the right decision when he left. He had to have.

Yamcha stepped back and began to say the words. "Eternal Shenlong, come forth!" The sky began to darken, and he was met with a blinding flash that sprang from the balls, and from it the dragon emerged. "WHAT IS YOUR WISH?" said the booming voice of Shenlong. "Give me the power to defeat the androids that are coming!" "YOUR POWER HAS LONG SURPASSED THAT OF MY CREATOR. I CANNOT GRANT THIS WISH." Dissapointed, Yamcha rushed to think of another wish. "Umm…can you take me somewhere that I can gain this power?" "THIS I CAN DO." The dragon's eyes glowed red and Yamcha vanished from the desert.

This new location was lush and full of life. In many ways it was similar to Earth, but there was something different about it that Yamcha couldn't quite explain. It was special, almost as if it were sacred. _I can't feel any of my friends' ki signatures. I must be on another planet, and not a close one._ In an instant, two figures materialized in front of him. They certainly looked strange. One was tall, with red skin. By the look of his face, he wasn't in a pleasant mood. The other was short with lavender skin. His face made him seem curious, as if he were examining Yamcha. The tall one began to speak. "Mortal, how dare you step foot—" The shorter one interrupted. "Kibito, stand down! This young man doesn't know exactly who or where we are. Please, show some hospitality." "Hospitality? Not even Dai Kaio is permitted to step foot on this sacred ground, but a mere mortal does and we are to treat him as a guest?"

It was at this point that Yamcha had become visible uncomfortable. The shorter one, who Yamcha had deduced to be the higher ranking of the two, returned his attention to him. "I must apologize, my attendant Kibito can be a bit…defensive about our world. I am the Kaioshin." _A KaioSHIN? Lord Kaio mentioned a Dai Kaio once or twice, but a god of gods, standing in front of me? Oh man Shenlong, where did you take me?_

In an act of nervousness, Yamcha took a bow. This seemed to please Kibito, but the Kaioshin seemed to find it almost humorous. "Please rise, it's not necessary. I've read your mind. You seek a power to fight a great evil, and so a wish was granted by a powerful magical being, correct?" "Y-Yeah." Kibito came in close to Yamcha and began to examine him. "Hmm…you're remarkably strong for an Earthling. And that outfit of yours, it has the mark of a King of Worlds on it." Kibito said. "Yes, I believe he has trained with the Kaio of the North Quadrant." Kaioshin replied. "Clearly, but why was he brought here? We aren't exactly martial arts instructors." Kaioshin gave Kibito a look. "I think you know why."

"The Z Sword, Lord Kaioshin? Surely you can't be serious! As strong as he is he can't hold a candle to any of the great Kaioshin who've tried in the past! And even if he were strong enough, should the honor go to a mortal?" Kaioshin was beginning to lose his patience. "Kibito stop with your petty prejudices. Do you not remember that the mortals are the divine creation of the gods? Remember that we are not to directly interfere with the dangers of the lower realms unless it's truly dire, but should we not give them the power to protect themselves?" Kibito was seemingly remorseful, if not just embarrassed. "V-Very well, master. I apologize." Yamcha decided to step in. "Um, Lord Kaioshin, sir? What's this 'Z Sword?"

Yamcha pulled on the sword for what felt like hours, not moving it an inch. Like so many times in the past, he felt powerless. Images flashed in his mind of him being humiliated by Tenshinhan at the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai. His defeat to God at the 23rd. And worst of all, his death at the hands of the saibamen. Suddenly he felt a burst of rage within him, as he began to charge a ball of ki in his hands. "KAME…." He began to chant. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Screamed Kibito. "HAME…" The power was steadily growing stronger. "HA!" The mountain the Z Sword was embedded in was soon obliterated by a bright light.

"YOU FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Kibito was furious. Even Kaioshin seemed peeved. Yamcha soon came to his senses. "Oh wow, I'm real sorry guys I…" Yamcha was soon interrupted. "Ahehe, don't feel too bad." Yamcha and the others' attention quickly turned to a figure sitting where the mountain was, next to the scattered pieces of the Z Sword. The figure seemed to be an old man, wearing similar garb to Kibito and Kaioshin. "I owe you one. I was stuck in there for quite some time. I suppose some introductions are in order. I am the Kaioshin from fifteen generations ago. I was sealed in that darn sword by a terrible villain." The three stared in disbelief at the Elder Kaioshin.

"Young man, if it's the power to fight those android whatevers you seek, I'm the right guy." This piqued Yamcha's interest. "I have the ability to draw out the hidden power of any warrior to its extreme. You will become formidable indeed." The old man said. "Yeah that sounds good to me." Yamcha replied. "Alright, stand still. This is going to take a while." The Ancestral God said, as he began to dance around Yamcha.

It had taken an entire day of silly dances and sitting still, but finally the ritual was over. "Alright Lord Kaioshin, how do I activate this power?" Yamcha asked as he got himself up. "Oh just power yourself up, that should do the trick." Yamcha focused his ki, and his aura burst with power, knocking Elder Kaioshin backwards. "Not right next to me you nitwit!" Everyone stared in awe of this new power. He wasn't quite as strong as Freeza, but it was definitely a start. "Kibito," Kaioshin began to say. "How about you test out our friend's new power?"

Yamcha got into his stance and began to scope out his opponent. He couldn't sense Kibito's ki, but he could tell he wasn't a pushover. Suddenly, he lunged at his opponent. They engaged in a flurry of punches, dodges, and blocks. They dashed through the air, phasing in and out of view, until eventually they stopped. Yamcha was out of breath, but Kibito was more composed. He seemed to be stronger than Yamcha, if not simply more used to the level of power they were fighting at. He would have to be cautious if he was going to win this little sparring match. He flew forward at full speed into Kibito and began his tried and true attack. "Wolf Fang Fist!" He cried as he landed hit after hit at speeds nearly impossible to follow. Just when he appeared to have stopped, he quickly launched a Kamehameha, slamming Kibito into the ground. Kibito picked himself up and a grin formed on his face. "Not bad. Perhaps I underestimated you. But we might need to continue this until you're ready for the Androids."


	4. Tenshinhan: Year One

"Hmm. An interesting prospect. Sending living beings to Dai Kaio's planet. But…" Enma Daio paused for a moment in consideration before continuing. "But only you, Tenshinhan. I'm sorry, Chiaotzu, you don't have the same potential to grow as your friend." Tenshinhan was distraught. "Chiaotzu, I'll stay if—" Chiaotzu cut him off. "No. Last time the world was in danger I gave it my all, and I still wasn't any help. I can't let you stop yourself from realizing your full potential. Don't worry, we'll see each other before long." Tenshinhan nodded as he waved goodbye to his oldest friend.

While Ten could barely contain a three eyed roll upon finding out his ride to the Grand King of World's planet was called the "Higher Plane", he otherwise felt nothing short of excitement. This was his last chance to surpass Son Goku. Ever since the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, he had been lagging behind, in part due to training, but as they knew now his Saiyan physiology allowed him to progress at a faster rate. But after the events on Namek, Goku had risen to new heights. If the gap was not bridged soon, Tenshinhan would never be able to match his one-time equal's strength.

When the plane landed, Tenshinhan was almost overwhelmed by the number of massive ki signatures permeating across the planet. He could sense one of the largest was near. As he exited the plane, he was greeted by three men. One was shorter than him and wore a martial arts uniform that resembled Earth clothing. The second man had a thick mustache and wore a gi not too dissimilar in style to the Turtle School students. The other was a much larger man, with a white tunic and flowing blond hair. He was holding a crystal ball, with the friendly face of Kaio projected on it. "Ah, Tenshinhan. Lord Enma informed me you were going to Dai Kaio's world, so I sent a welcoming party of all the Earthlings allowed to keep their bodies. Here we have Mutaito, who you surely know, Son Gohan, who's grandson you're more than familiar with, and the oldest one Olibu, the basis of many heroic legends. Anyway, I've got to go. Krillin's not going to train himself."

Tenshinhan was starstruck. Mutaito's teachings were the basis for his own as the master of Kame-Sennin, and his own teacher Tsuru-Sennin. Son Gohan was not only Goku's adoptive grandfather, but quite a legendary martial artist of his own right. Olibu was borderline _mythical._ Tenshinhan thought him only a legend, and to see him in the flesh… Mutaito spoke. "I'm told your first teacher was a student of mine. It's good to see my teachings still hold weight on Earth. Now, let's get down to business. You're free to train with anyone here, but we would be honored if you spent some time training with us." "Believe me, the honor's all mine." Ten replied. "Alright, we'll start by taking turns sparring with you, so we can all get a taste for your power. We roshambo'd, and I get to go first. But I must warn you, I've gotten quite a bit stronger since I died fighting Piccolo Daimao."

Tenshinhan stared down at Mutaito, feeling out his ki. As far as he could tell he couldn't have been stronger than the saiyan Nappa, but he knew better than to trust an initial reading. He raised his ki just enough to match his opponents, and the battle began. The old man was no doubt an expert at hand-to-hand combat. He expertly countered each strike and managed to get quite a few licks in of his own. The skirmish continued for a minute or so, until there was a sudden pause. "Alright, old timer," Ten said, as a smile formed on his face. "Let me show you my _true_ power." He raised his ki, and an explosive aura formed around him.

"Amazing…" Gohan said to Olibu. "His power must've increased ten, no—fifteen-fold." Mutaito's power grew as well, his muscles expanding and figure more imposing. However, his power merely doubled, and Tenshinhan suspected his speed and mobility were negatively affected. "Hmm. There's clearly more than meets the eye with you, young man, but don't discount me yet." Mutaito raised his hands. "MAFUBA!" He shouted as a wave of ethereal energy shot at Ten.

Unfortunately for the old master, Tenshinhan was more than familiar with this technique, and was able to easily repel it. Mutaito was soon engulfed in the wave. He was thrown upward by his opponent, then shot down at lightning quick speeds and crashed into the ground, leaving a crater.

Mutaito picked himself off. "I see there are _other_ things passed down. Very good. Gohan, are you next?" Gohan replied. "Uhhh, no. He's far above me. Olibu?" The mythic warrior stepped forward. "Yes, I would very much like to see what this young man can do. Come, let's fight someplace a bit more…proper."

Olibu led the Tenshinhan to a large tiled ring, very much like that in the Tenkaichi Budokai. The stepped up and took their positions. "Now I must warn you, if you demonstrated your full power against Mutaito, then I am much above you." "Good." Tenshinhan replied. "So are my enemies." "Alright then. If you can knock me out of the ring, you win." Tenshinhan launched forward, delivering a flurry of fast paced crane strikes, to no effect. Realizing the ineffectiveness of his attacks, he withdrew, and decided to fight a bit more tactically. He shot into the sky, and positioned his fingers on his forehead. "Tayoken!" Both Olibu and the spectators were blinded by an intense light. He then fired two attacks. "Dodonpa!" He shouted as he fired two thin beams at Olibu's legs, exploding on impact. Before his opponent could find his bearings, Ten flew in with a flying kick and knocked him down.

While Tenshinhan had intended that kick to knock him out of the ring, and not nearly knock him to the ground, he did succeed in impressing Olibu. "Now that was a good play." Tenshinhan smiled. "Thanks. Now get a taste of my next attack. It's an improvement over an old technique, and I'm now certain you'll be able to withstand it." Tenshinhan formed his hands in a diamond shape. Mutaito recognized this immediately. "Fool, that could kill you! I created that technique for only dire situations! This is merely a spar!" Ten charged his attack. This was finally a good opponent to test it on. "SHIN KIKOHO!" An incredibly powerful attack fired forward and struck his opponent, sending him out of the ring.

Olibu stood up, unharmed. He was once again impressed. "That was some technique. With enough training, there won't be many opponents who can stand up to it." Mutaito was amazed. Students of his had _died_ from that attack in its original form, and here this young man was, seemingly only winded. Olibu continued to speak. "Train with me, and I'll build your strength up exponentially."


	5. Krillin: Year Two

Krillin focused as he gathered ki from the life around him. "Alright, that should be enough for now." Kaio instructed. "Now that the Genki Dama has seen use in battle, I've been able to analyze its weaknesses as a technique. It's slow to power up, and even when formed it's clumsy, slow, and has only one shot." Krillin winced as he remembered missing his shot against Vegeta. It was Yajirobe's fault, but it was a good example of the technique's flaws. Kaio continued. "So, I've devised a few ways to improve its usability. Firstly, you will be able to amass higher amounts of power faster by receiving Genki volunteered by living beings. Secondly, instead of merely forming it into a ball and throwing it at your target, you'll absorb it into your body, adding it to your own power."

Krillin was ecstatic. "That's amazing!"

"However," Kaio went on, "High amounts of Genki foreign to your body can cause considerable damage if unprepared." Krillin's smile faded a bit. "But you uniquely have pushed your body to the limits with the Kaio-ken. Your body can probably handle more stress than almost anyone."

"Even Goku?"

"Yes, him attempting it would likely destroy his body." Krillin smiled, filled with confidence.

"Alright, how do I do it?" He asked.

"Focus your mind. Feel the currents of the energy you hold." Kaio instructed. "Now, grab hold of your own energies, and synchronize it with the Dama."

Krillin focused on the ball he held. His teacher was right, there was a current to it. A flowing pattern from a sea of power. He then focused on his own power like his master instructed. It too had a current. The young monk grabbed hold of his ki and began to imitate the flow of the Genki Dama. As the two bodies of energy began to sync, the power he gathered began to seep into himself until it was all inside of him.

"HA HA! YEAH!" Krillin shouted. He began to shadow-box, noticing an uptick in speed. "Hey this isn't stressing my body at all!"

"Well you didn't exactly gather a huge amount. There's only so much energy on this planet." Krillin continued his exercises. "But on Earth, you should be able to get enough that it might do some damage. That's why you need to start out small and -" Krillin engulfed himself in the red aura of the Kaio-Ken, and promptly fell to the ground. Kaio gave him a moment of rest and began to explain. "I should have warned you. Of course, it was all theoretical, but I have suspected that a combination of the Genki Dama Sesshu and the Kaio-Ken would be dangerous."

"Heh, good to know," Krillin panted out. "You know, I didn't feel a huge leap in power either."

"Of course not," Kaio said, "The Kaio-Ken draws from your inner power. Since the power of the Sesshu comes from outside, the Kaio-Ken can't increase its power any further. All you accomplish is putting deep stress on your body. Any way, let's call it a day. Rest is just as important to your training as exercise is. "


	6. Yamcha: Year Two

Yamcha broke through Kibito's guard, knocking him to the ground. The Kaioshin's attendant had proven to be less of a challenge after a year and half of sparring. Yamcha floated down and grabbed the cup of water the Elder Kaioshin had materialized for him. Kibito restored both their clothing, removing any sign of battle damage.

"It truly is remarkable how much you've improved," the Kaioshin mused, "For any mortal, much less an Earthling, to grow in such a short period of time is practically unheard of!"

"Oh it's not so unbelievable," the Elder Kaioshin responded, "My ritual was more than a one-time boost. So long as one stays in fighting shape, whoever I perform the ritual has full access to their latent inner strength, making training several times more effective."

"Heh, lucky me," Yamcha said as he finished his drink. How lucky am I though? He wondered, I haven't seen Bulma in a year. She must be furious! And she was getting awfully close with that damn Vegeta… Why did I even come here? Goku could handle these android whatevers no problem. I could have retired from fighting and settled down with Bulma. I can commit if I put my mind to it. And I doubt Vegeta could say the same. "I think it's time for me to go home," Yamcha said aloud.

Kibito teleported Yamcha back to Earth. "Goodbye my friend, and good luck," Kibito said, "This world is in good hands." Yamcha smiled at his training partner and flew away. He had business to attend to.

The flight to West City was shorter than Yamcha expected. While Kibito had brought him to the other side of the planet, a world away was not the great distance it once was. The Capsule Corp security guard let him in, and he made his way to Bulma's room. Yamcha felt a lump in his throat, his palms began to sweat. You can do this, Yamcha. She can't be that mad, right? He knocked on her door.

"It's open," she said. Yamcha felt more at ease hearing that voice. It had been far too long since heard it. He entered and began to speak from behind her turned back.

"I know I haven't always been the most reliable guy. I've fooled around for far too long, and haven't treated you with the respect you deserve. I've had a lot of time to think about things. About us. I'm done messing around. I'm ready to do this for real."

Bulma turned around, and Yamcha was surprised to see what she looked like. Her belly was round, and her skin glowing. "Just what do you think you're doing here?!" she yelled in an oh-so-familiar tone.

"I-you're-" Yamcha struggled to speak.

"Leave without warning, with my radar no less, for over a year and just show back up like it's no big deal?!" She continued to yell at Yamcha until she eventually ran out of steam.

"Vegeta's the father, isn't he?" Yamcha asked. Bulma nodded. "I mean it, you know. I'd raise that kid like he was my own. I can't say I know Vegeta super well, but he hardly seems the domestic type."

"You're not exactly wrong," Bulma said, "He left months ago. I…I don't know about all this, but I think you should leave for now. I need time to think." Yamcha left, unsure how to feel. Unsure of where to go, he flew to the one place he knew he'd always be welcome.

Despite the title of Hermit, in recent years Muten Roshi has been anything but alone. In the past, his company was little more than a talking sea turtle, and the occasional visit from former students. However, for the past decade and a half, the Kame House has had numerous residents, including three new students, a woman with a dissociative personality, and a shape-shifting pig. For the past year, it also housed a very sad named Puar.

While Muten Roshi was happy to bring him in, and with Krillin gone there was plenty of room, the old Turtle Hermit couldn't help feel like Puar was a bit of a downer. While he too was concerned about Yamcha's sudden disappearance, he knew his former pupil was likely safe wherever he was. But he supposed he understood how his new housemate felt. Puar took it very hard when Yamcha died in the saiyan attack. The pair had known each other for a very long time, and it was unusual for Yamcha to leave without saying goodbye. Fortunately, they didn't have to worry much longer.

Muten Roshi was lounging on a chair outside reading a dirty magazine when he felt an immense power coming right for him. He panicked and fell out of his chair as it began to approach, but regained his composure when he realized who it was. "Is that Yamcha?" He said to himself. His suspicions were soon confirmed when he saw the figure land with his unmistakable scarred-face.

"How's it going, Master?" Yamcha said with a touch of extra bravado. Just because he's had a bad day didn't mean he couldn't show off to clearly impressed Kame Sennin.

"I don't know where you've been, Yamcha, but wherever it was it had one heck of a training program!"

"Yeah, you could say that," Yamcha said with a smug grin.

"What brings you here anyway? I'm guessing you didn't come here just to show off to your old master."

"Well uh, I kinda got kicked out of Bulma's place after leaving her for over a year," Yamcha said, still trying to play it cool. "And I was wondering if I could crash here for a bit."

"Yes, of course. And I think you'll be happy with your housemates." Muten Roshi answered.

"Yeah, I always got along pretty well with Oolong," Yamcha said.

"That's not who I meant." As if on cue, Puar emerged from the house, and immediately burst into tears.

"Yamcha!" the cat cried as he embraced his old friend. "Where were you? I missed you so much!"

Yamcha started to get misty-eyed as well. "I missed you too, Puar. And it's a long story." Yamcha told everyone about his wish to the dragon, and his unexpected trip to the World of the Kaioshin. Puar then explained how he came to live at Kame House as he felt uncomfortable living with Vegeta without Yamcha around.

"Sorry for scaring you guys like that," Yamcha said, "I'd have called if I had a phone".

"When you were at Kaio's place you could talk to us with his telepathy," Puar pointed out, "Does his boss not have that ability?"

"I didn't think to ask," Yamcha admitted, "I guess that's my bad." They all shared a laugh.

And so the two lifelong companions were reunited. But would these good times last with the threat of the Androids just a year away? Even with his newfound power was Yamcha strong enough to take them on? These questions didn't trouble him at the moment. All that mattered now were the laughs shared among friends.


	7. Tenshinhan: Year 2

Olibu was strong. He had shown only a portion of his power in the exhibition, as Ten had come to learn. While sparring with a strong opponent made for effective training, it was not enough to make one on par with a Super Saiyan, at least not in the timeframe Tenshinhan needed to be. So, after just over a year, he decided that raw strength alone would not be the solution. Techniques, skill, and special abilities were his only chance. After all, that was the way of the Crane School.  
Olibu of course understood and recommended a warrior who specialized in various special techniques. "A fighter named Kattapill, of the Metamor people. You can find him on the northeast hemisphere of the planet."  
Tenshinhan flew to the northeast until he found a settlement of warriors. Of course, not knowing what Metamorans looked like, he was left searching blind. Eventually, he was given directions by a fighter he recognized as Namekian. When he reached the location, he was surprised to find not one, but two fighters, speaking to each other in front of a tall tree. They were roughly humanoid in appearance, one with pink hair, and the other with green, and wore matching outfits consisting of a vest with no shirt, baggy pants, and a flowing, sash-like belt.  
"Excuse me, I'm looking for someone named Kattapill? I'm told he can teach me some sort of special technique?" Ten told them. The two shared a smirk and nodded.  
"We can show you Kattapill, but you'll have to give us something in exchange. A good, challenging spar." Ten nodded. This practice was common on Dai Kaio's world. He had fought three fighters when searching for directions.  
Each fighter readied their stances. It was rare that Tenshinhan had fought two fighters at once, but he thought it was appropriate as he was to be up against two androids. The fighters charged at him with a surprisingly high level of synchronization and coordination, as if it had been rehearsed many times. Regardless, they were no match for Ten. He was faster and stronger, and it wasn't as if he lacking in martial ability himself. _It might be a more fair fight if I used the Multi-Form technique,_ he thought, _It would close the power gap, and it could make the battle two on two._ Before he could make that decision, though, he had already taken one of them down. It took only seconds after that before the other fell.  
The two fighters were quite out of breath, so Ten gave them a moment to recover. "So, was that spar satisfying enough? Will you take me to Kattapill?"  
"Of course," green-haired fighter answered, "He's actually very close to here. You see, my name is Kattpule."

"And mine is Taddapill," the pink-haired fighter said. Ten wasn't quite sure what was happening, but before he could ask they began to mirror each other in a strange pose.

"Fuuuu-" they said in unison as the shifted their feet and arms in perfect symmetry. "-sion!" they continued as they shifted further until eventually they touched the tips of their fingers together. "Ha!" Their forms became a bright light. When the light dimmed down, Ten was surprised to find not two, but one fighter standing in front of him. This fighter wore a similar outfit to Kattpule and Taddapill, but his face seemed like a mix of theirs. His hair pink in the front, and green in the back.  
"And my name," the new fighter said, "Is Kattapill." Kattapill positioned himself in the same stance Kattpule and Taddapill started the fight with, and Tenshinhan followed suit with his own. The battle began but didn't last long. Kattapill was substantially stronger than the men that formed him. It was less than 30 seconds until Ten was on the ground.

"I see," Ten said, "You've combined yourselves into a single being. And the strength of that being is much stronger than just your powers added together, isn't it?" Tenshinhan began to imitate the poses that created Kattapill.  
"Not bad," Kattapill commented, "You were able to memorize that after just seeing it once?"  
"I've always had a knack for imitating techniques," Tenshinhan said, practicing the dance, "So how exactly does this combination technique work?"  
"The fusion dance works when multiple synchronize themselves and come together. This means their power must be at the same level. Each participant must be in tune, from the way they move, to even the timing of their breathing. Ideally, they'd be of similar stature to one another, but it's not strictly required." Kattapill explained.  
 _Yes, this trick is just what I needed. I must be of a similar level to Goku's normal form, or perhaps Piccolo. With this technique, those Androids won't stand a chance,_ Ten thought. _I need someone to practice this with. Perhaps…_ "Ha!" Tenshinhan released a booming kiai, and suddenly there were two of him.  
"Now _that_ is an interesting technique," Kattapill noted, "Though your power seems to have split as well. Perhaps not the most battle applicable." Tenshinhan and his copy began to move in perfect symmetry. "Ha! You can't seriously think that will work!"

"Fuuu-sion ha!" The white light dimmed and only one Tenshinhan remained. He could feel the power surging through him, although he wished his clothing hadn't changed. He was now wearing a similar outfit to the Metamorans, and it wasn't exactly his preferred look. Kattapill was dumbfounded.  
"Fusing with yourself… I never would that was even possible. I guess it makes sense in a strange sort of way. Fusing is the joining of separate bodies and ki, and I suppose that copy technique of yours separated both enough to 'trick' the ritual into working. Incredible…"  
"Alright," The fused Tenshinhan said, "One last spar…"

This skirmish lasted much longer than the two before it. They fought almost at a stalemate until 15 minutes had passed. Tenshinhan's form split in two and his fusion was no more.

"You didn't tell me this technique had a time limit," Ten said.

"Sorry, forgot to mention it. Although it usually lasts twice as long, which is why I haven't unfused. Still, not bad for a fusion you cheated to get." Despite the unexpected fission, Tenshinhan couldn't be happier. This was his ace in the hole, his secret weapon. He could stand up to those Androids, at least he could with more training, and maybe, just maybe, he had finally closed the gap between himself and Goku.


End file.
